Take all of the above dry rub ingredients and mix well together. I use my hands and try to really infuse them together, the sugar helps this.

Next, take your chicken, about a 5 lb or more bird and rinse well and pat dry. Tie the wings straight down the back. In the ‘other ingredients’, put everything except the butter and can of ginger ale inside the bird’s cavity. Put the chicken over your can of half full ginger ale. If you don’t have a way to affix this so it will say upright, that’s okay. Make sure you have a rack in your roasting pan and pour the entire can of ginger ale in the bottom. Now, tie the legs together. Gently lift small areas of the skin over the breast and legs and put in your butter. I use a small tablespoon to do this. Make sure you put the skin back and keep as much skin on as you can as it’s key to a tender meat. Take your time and really rub and pat the dry rub into and onto your bird. Patting it in place will help make it stick.

Carefully put your chicken in the hot oven. Set timer for 25 minutes. When timer goes, turn heat down to 225. Slow roast her as long as you want. I left my bird in for a few hours. Check the temperature. If you’ve hit the 165 mark testing inside the thighs and breast (take temperature in several areas to be sure) then turn your heat down to 200 and just let it go.

My husband and son raved about this chicken. It’s a new variation of my old crackle chicken and they absolutely loved it.

Feel free to ask any questions…hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks for stopping by.